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APA Citation Guide (7th Edition): Dictionaries, Thesauruses and Encyclopedias

Note: This guide reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7).

Entry in an Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedia, with an Individual Author

Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of entry. In A. A. Editor (ed.), Title of reference work (edition). Publisher. URL

Example

Beck, J., & Foley, D. (2010). Music composition. In B. Graves (ed.). The Canadian encyclopedia (2010 ed.). Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/music-composition

Entry in an Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedia, with a Group Author

Format

Institution or organization name. (Year). Title of entry. In Title of reference work. URL

Example

Merriam Webster. (n.d.). Climate change. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved June 8, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climate%20change

Note: When an online reference work is continuously updated and the versions are not archived, use "n.d." as the year of publication and include a retrieval date.

Entry in Wikipedia

Format

Title of entry. (Year, Month Date). In Wikipedia. Permalink [or URL and retrieval date]

Example

Veterinary medicine. (2020, June 3). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org//w/index.php?title=Veterinary_medicine&oldid=960593868 

Notes:

Cite the archived version of the page so that readers can retrieve the version you used. Access the archived version on Wikipedia by selecting "View history" and then the time and date of the version you used. If a wiki does not provide permanent links to archived versions of the page, include the URL for the entry and the retrieval date.

Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check your assignment.